Almost a quarter of a century after the release of his first album, Gojira continues to grow, both in success and maturity. Thus, the recent obtaining a Grammy Award does not divert them from their objective: to pursue their artistic ambitions and develop their creativity.
Authentic and creative, Joe and Mario Duplacentier, guitarist-singer and drummer and Gojiraengage in the editorial staff, the gaze turned to the future, which includes in particular a great French tour. Interview.
How do you feel when you are the first French group to win a Grammy Award in the “Best Metal Performance” category?
JOE DUPLANTIER : It's nice, especially since it was not something we imagined when we started playing metal. We were in light years to tell ourselves that one day we would win a Grammy in the same category as Metallica. We were already shocked during our appointment in 2017 to Magma. We said to ourselves: “Ah well, but it is in fact possible to be recognized like that by the mainstream industry?” It gave us a taste for competition and since then, we wondered when we were going to have this damn Grammy?
Mario Duplantier : We are dubbed by the firmament of the music industry. It's super gratifying. But at the same time, we do not forget the real: make songs that speak to people, with the love that Joe brings in his words. We apply ourselves to making a more solid, unifying art. And we continue to set up beautiful concerts, to work on our condition as a musician on stage and in the studio.
This award rewards a special moment in your career, namely “Mea Culpa (Ah! It will be!)”, Which marked the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
MD : We clearly know that this production has played in our favor. It allowed us to play suspended on the concierge, with all these pyrotechnic effects and these dancers. It's monumental. This is where the term “Metal Performance” takes on its full meaning. This is why we do not take everything for us, because Marina Viotti has brought enormously to the whole, and this in this specific context.
Jd : Let us specify that Gojira Was blasted on amplifiers throughout Paris! It is an incredible experience and the grammy is the icing on the cake.
You have also started playing this title on stage, especially in the United States. How did the public welcomed it?
Jd : It is relatively unusual for the American public to see a group sing in French, Latin and English. People reacted very well, although we did not interpret the song in its entirety. We didn't want to play Marina's game without her. So we played. It was a nod to say that it is us, the group that was at the Olympic Games. In the future, we will honor this piece as it should be. But we are not going to say more for the moment.
Find the rest of this interview with Joe and Mario Duplacentier de Gojira In our weekly n ° 184, available via our online store.
